Name: Samah Hijawi
Place of Birth: Kuwait (Nationality: Jordanian)
Year of Birth: 1976
Areas of Work: Multiple Media
Webseite: www.samah-hijawi.com
A cross-disciplinary visual artist whose recent projects have focused on the working in public spaces to include the participation of the audience. Hijawi’s works have been on display in different venues in Jordan, Scotland, France, and The Netherlands; and are part of collections in Jordan, Dubai, Greece and London.
Hijawi is also a cultural manager in several local independent projects in the visual arts, and works as a consultant with Makan Art Space where she has been involved in workshops for young people in collaboration with Municipality of Amman, among other projects. She is also a writer on contemporary Jordanian arts with contributions in several local and international publications, and also lectures in Contemporary Art in the Arab World.
Selected Recent Exhibitions / Participation:
2011
"The Sexual Psychology of Hermaphrodites", Meeting Points Festival 6 (Beirut, Brussels, Berlin), curated by Okwui Enwezor, for the Young Arab Theatre Fund
January "This Works does not mean Anything to Me: Musings on Art and Art Discourse" intervention at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. For 'Sentences on the Banks and Other Activities" Curated by Abdellah Karroum for Darat Al Funun.
2010
Dec 16 & 17 Lecture Performance “ Influences on art in Jordan” at conference “Modern Arab Art: Objects, Histories. Methodologies” hosted by Mathaf: The museum of Modern Arab Art and AMCA. Doha
3 month Residency march-May Hotel Maria Kapel, Netherlands
Independent Study Program, Townhouse, Cairo (Jan - June)
2009
" The Gas Car Project" Public Intervention Using Sound, Amman Jordan.
" Where are the Arabs?" Public Performance, Disorientation II, curated by Jack Perkisian, Abu Dhabi
"You are Not An Artist" & " This work does not mean anything to me"
Video works, Art Hub New Silk Roads performative symposium
Shatana International Artist Workshop; management/participation
"Where are the Arabs?" Public Performance and intervention, Ramallah
AIR Art School Palestine
"Where are the Arabs?" Public Performance and intervention, Amman
"Jaffa Oranges" video installation, Petersburg Project space,
Netherlands
2008
Presentation of works in City Dialogues, conference in Iran, Tehran
Production Award; Makan “Where are the Arabs?”
Artist in Residence: Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF), Egypt
“Crazy Sheep” video and “Aga Talking” sound installation, 3 Islands International Artist Workshop, North Uist, Scotland
“Inside/Outside” Funded by Shatana International Artist Workshop
“Portrait” Solo Exhibition of silk-screen prints, Makan, Jordan
2007
“Disorientation” Public intervention, funding for production by Meeting Points 5 Festival Amman, Jordan
“Jaffa Oranges” video, screened in Instants Video Numerique Festival – Marseille, France
“Spirit” site-specific drawings; Shatana International Artists workshop, Jordan
“Ya Reit” Collaborative Public Intervention, with Hanan Khalil Production fund awarded for workshop ‘No Condition is Permanent’ curated by Rayelle Neimen, Amman Jordan
“Intimacy Series” paintings; Group Exhibition for Emerging Jordanian Artists, Makan,
Jordan
2006
“Jaffa Oranges”; video work Jordanian Short film festival, Amman Jordan
“Horse moods series” Group Exhibition for Contemporary Jordanian Artist, 4 walls gallery
– Jordan
“Sixty” Installation, Foresight Gallery – Jordan
2005
“Intimacy Series” (Paintings) Central Saint Martins – London
2003
“Horse Moods” Paintings Bangladesh Biennial
Activities, Workshops and Education
2007-08
Lead Artist Nahnou Together art interpretation and exchange program for young people funded by the British Council , partners of the project Tate Britain London, Adham Isamil Center – Syria.
2007
co-curator Unclassified – Meeting Points 5; International contemporary arts festival
Participating artist as well as organising committee Shatana International Artists workshop - Jordan
Curating workshop, Townhouse Cairo - Egypt
Participating artist No Condition is Permanent public art workshop curated by Rayelle Neiman – Jordan
Seminar on Contemporary Arab Art – AMIDEAST Jordan
Speaker in Corporate Responsibility Forum “Culture, The Arts and Artists an ad CSR: Unique Voices” Amman February 2007
Attended a curating workshop in Townhouse Gallery – Cairo Egypt
2006 – 07
Lead artist Art Interpretation workshops for youth in Jordan with Tate Britain and British Council– Jordan & Syria
2006
Melopee Culture Management workshop – France
Participated Video Art workshop – French Cultural Centre - Jordan
2005
MA Fine Arts – Central Saint Martins School of Art & Design – London
1999
BA Fine Art – Lebanese American University - Lebanon
Relevant Professional Experience:
2005 - 2008
Full-time Tutor in the Visual Arts Dept – Faculty of Art and Design, University of Jordan
2006 - 2007
Project coordinator Makan independent cultural space – Jordan
2003-2006
Art Consultant with Art & Arch Jordan
2003
Elected Jury Member International Biennial of Children’s Art - Egypt
Writings:
“Crossing Jordan; Contemporary Art in the Hashemite Kingdom” The Bite Magazine International, Vol. 2 - Issue 6 2006
“Art in Need of Identity” November 2005 Jo Magazine Issue 27
“Picture Perfect (Content vs. Aesthetics)” December 2005 Jo Magazine Issue 28
“Opportunities Wasted” January 2006 Jo Magazine Issue 29
“Art For Who’s Sake?” March 2006 Jo Magazine Issue 31
“Art of Purpose” April 2006 Jo Magazine issue 32
“Nadim Kufi; Versatile Expression” January/February 2008 Canvas Magazine, Volume 4 Issue 1
“Politics of Home: Mona Hatoum Exhibition preview” November/December 2008, Canvas Magazine, Volume 4 Issue 3
" Shantana International Artist Workshop" Canvas Guide Nov/Dec 2008
" chaos and Order" Shatana International Artists Catalogue 2008
" Expanding culture and Arts" Makan Blog 15.4.2009
